The day after the battle with Yang Jin-Mu, Alice went to Yang Su-Hyeon for a check-up.
Yang Su-Hyeon had recommended regular visits, stating that there were still many unidentified functions in Alice's body.
When she lightly tapped Alice's knee with an iron hammer, her leg kicked up in a conditioned reflex.
"Wait, Dr. Yang, isn't that usually done with a rubber hammer?"
"...Why would I have something like that in my house? Anyway, isn't this result interesting? Why does a robot like you exhibit a conditioned reflex?"
"?"
"There is a classic experiment where the neural network of a C. elegans (roundworm) is mapped directly into a robot's body. You might be an existence where a human neural network was implemented directly into an android body."
"Who on earth... and why would they do such a troublesome thing?"
"You claimed to be Seong Yu-Hwa. The only person with the position and technology to do something like this to Seong Yu-Hwa is President Seong Dong-Hyeon."
"...!"
Her father did this to her?
That kind and wise father shoved her into a robot body on purpose?
Alice became confused.
"Still, since I can use magic, I really do have a soul, right!?"
"Well... scientists don't really like terms like 'soul' that are just meant to attract public attention. The mainstream hypothesis is that a subject in the position of an observer in quantum mechanics can use magic. According to that theory, it's not strange whether a robot uses magic or a neighborhood mutt uses it."
Alice felt that Yang Su-Hyeon was speaking a bit too cynically.
"Any questions?"
"...Do you know about Yu-Han's past?"
At that question, Yang Su-Hyeon chewed on the cigarette she was smoking.
"I meant 'technical questions'. Why are you asking such a useless thing?"
"We went to catch a terrorist named Yang Jin-Mu together, and he claimed that Yu-Han had killed him before. But Yu-Han won't open his mouth at all, so I'm asking others."
"Why would I know?"
"But you have the same surname, Yang. Are you related?"
"Ha, really. The surname Yang makes up about 1% of the total population. Do you think all Yangs know each other?"
"When I first met you, your expression changed when Yu-Han said he would kill Yang Jin-Mu, didn't it?"
"That's not evidence of anything..."
Yang Su-Hyeon tried to feign ignorance to the end, but she realized Alice was staring at her with eyes full of curiosity, suspicion, and conviction.
"...Well, fine. It seems you're already convinced. It'd be easier to just tell you and get it over with."
"What is your relationship with Yang Jin-Mu?"
"He was my biological brother."
Yang Su-Hyeon lit a new cigarette and began a long story...
///
The siblings Yang Jin-Mu and Yang Su-Hyeon loved science in their childhood.
While other kids were reading fairy tales, they were solving calculus problems for fun.
'Oppa' is a Korean honorific used by females to address older brothers or close older males.
///
Alice made a face of disgust.
"Ugh... that's a dream I can't really understand."
"Don't interrupt. Besides, dreaming of being a scientist is common for kids."
Yang Su-Hyeon added.
"Well, after growing up, we realized we had to do both physics and chemistry anyway."
///
Having finished their Ph.D. courses at the youngest age after studying abroad, they were talents no one could approach.
The siblings even developed a device called the 'High-Output Energy Barrier,' which would mark a stroke in history.
However, the professors, conglomerates, and bureaucrats of Korea did not leave this alone.
They used their power to steal all the research results and claim them as their own.
Yang Jin-Mu's cries in court couldn't change the situation at all.
The law in Korea existed for the strong, after all.
///
"Instead of enduring it, my brother decided to become a terrorist. He hunted down the ringleaders one by one and killed them. He didn't care in the slightest who got caught in the crossfire..."
"..."
"And during that time, a man approached me. It's obvious who it was, right?"
///
Yu-Han encouraged the resigned Yang Su-Hyeon and made every effort, such as collecting evidence or trying to reveal the truth through SNS.
Although the effects were minimal due to constant interference, it was enough to bring the two closer.
'Noona' is a Korean honorific used by males to address older sisters or close older females.
<...Oppa is a terrorist. You know that, right?>
<...I'll try contacting him.>
///
"H-he called you Noona!?"
"It's disgusting to think about now... I was stupid back then. I shouldn't have let him meet Oppa carelessly...!"
Yang Su-Hyeon's hand trembled with rage as she spoke.
///
As soon as they met Yang Jin-Mu, Yu-Han changed.
Before either of them could say anything, a carbon-coated blade pierced his stomach.
Yang Jin-Mu closed his eyes right there.
<'Cause he's a terrorist. I'm actually a sanctioner.>
///
"He's absolute trash...!"
"..."
Yang Su-Hyeon, the person involved, didn't chime in on that remark.
"Anyway, I became a sanctioner to take revenge on him and the ringleaders. But... strangely, all the ringleaders were already dead by someone's hand. It was obvious who did it."
Yang Su-Hyeon took a deep drag of her cigarette and let out a long sigh.
"Do you still intend to take revenge on Yu-Han?"
"I just gave up. Now... it's a business relationship I hate to look at. Besides, his magic is..."
"That's enough."
Suddenly, Yu-Han opened the door and appeared, cutting off the conversation.
"Dr. Yang. It seems you like blabbering about other people's secrets more than I thought. No matter how high your intelligence is, I guess the instinct of women to gossip doesn't change much?"
"Urgh..."
As Yang Su-Hyeon gritted her teeth, Alice stepped in front of Yu-Han.
"I heard everything from Yang Su-Hyeon C. Apologize."
"And if I refuse?"
Suddenly, Alice slapped Yu-Han's cheek with a stinging force.
Yu-Han held his stinging cheek, but his expression didn't change a bit.
"This is a problem between the parties involved. Do you think anything will change just because you interfere?"
At Yu-Han's words, Alice slapped his other cheek as well.
"...Very good. Does that make you feel any better?"
"No! I've barely started!"
Alice began to slap Yu-Han's cheeks, alternating left and right.
Yu-Han, who had been enduring it silently, finally exploded.
"Stop hitting me, you freakin' tin can!!"
"Then say you're sorry!"
"I won't!!"
"Say it!!"
Because of Alice trying to slap Yu-Han again and Yu-Han desperately running around to dodge it this time, Yang Su-Hyeon's house was turning into a mess.
Yang Su-Hyeon's fists trembled.
"Both of you, get the fuck out of my house!!"
Yang Su-Hyeon kicked their butts and chased the two out of her house.
***
Alice and Yu-Han repeated that childish fight until they walked back to the Cheong-Am Center after being kicked out.
"Why won't you apologize!?"
"Because I'm genuinely not sorry. I just removed a terrorist in the most efficient way possible."
"You bastard..."
Growling at each other, the two entered the Cheong-Am Center, but inside, there were humans fighting just as childishly.
"Keepin' a lady tied up like that and leavin' her... apologize!!"
"You seemed to lack thought, so I just tied you to the 'Thinking Tree' for 30 minutes."
"Apologize!"
"I won't!"
While Yi Rang and Lee Sang-Deok fought loudly, Kim Ga-Eun approached Yu-Han and Alice.
"Yu-Han C, Alice C! Please stop those two! They've been doing that for 30 minutes already!"
Seeing their childish fight, Yu-Han and Alice looked back at themselves.
"Yu-Han. Seeing grown adults act like that... it's a bit of an eyesore. Let's promise not to be like them."
"I couldn't agree more. It's pathetic."
***
Yang Su-Hyeon was looking through digital photo albums in her house, where the noisy guests had left.
There were plenty of memories with her brother, but there were also quite a few photos containing memories with Yu-Han.
In the photos, Yu-Han was smiling happily, detestably so.
"Haa... This bastard really hasn't changed a bit."
She recalled a conversation she had with Yu-Han in the past.
Yang Su-Hyeon also saw her own face in the photo with Yu-Han.
Her ignorant self was smiling happily. Also detestable.
And standing on the rooftop of a building, there was a man looking towards the villa where Yang Su-Hyeon lived.
It was Yang Jin-Mu.
"..."
He watched with lingering regret in his eyes, but when Lee Nam-Yong and his colleagues appeared, they disappeared together into the darkness of the city.